1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to stabilizers for standing passengers in a mass transit vehicle, and, more particularly, to a portable stabilizer especially adapted for carrying by a standing passenger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When the seats of mass transit vehicles, such as subway cars and busses, are occupied, additional passengers have to stand. It is often difficult for a standing passenger to maintain one's balance, especially when the mass transit vehicle makes abrupt stops and starts. Generally, the mass transit vehicles have a limited number of horizontally oriented and vertically oriented bars that the standing passenger can hold onto. Yet, the standing passenger may not wish to grab onto the existing hold-on bars for sanitary reasons. No one can know who has recently held onto a nearby hold-on bar and no one can know the state of health of that other person. In this respect, it would be desirable if a standing passenger can bring along one's own hold-on bar to avoid problems of sanitation of previous holders of existing hold-on bars in the mass transit vehicle.
During overcrowding of a mass transit vehicle, the existing hold-on bars may all be used by other standing passengers. Therefore, it would be desirable if a standing passenger could bring along one's own portable hold-on bar to provide oneself with stability when the existing hold-on bars in the mass transit vehicle are all being used by other passengers.
Sometimes, in the absence of an existing hold-on bar to hold onto, a person, especially a child, will hold onto the clothing of a parent. Often such clothing gets torn when abrupt starts and stops are made. In this respect, it would be desirable to provide a device which would preclude the need for a child to hold onto the clothing of an adult to maintain stability in a mass transit vehicle.
Still other features would be desirable in a portable stabilizer device for a 1 standing passenger. For example, it would be desirable if such a portable stabilizer device could occupy only a small space when not in use, when being stored, and could extend to an appropriate length when being used. More specifically, it would be desirable if such a portable stabilizer device were provided which is retractable when not in use for storage and extendable when in use for stabilizing a standing passenger. When in the retracted condition, the portable stabilizer device can be carried in a purse, backpack, briefcase, etc.
Also, when a portable stabilizer device for a standing passenger in a mass transit vehicle is employed, when the standing passenger wants to move from one standing position to another standing position in the mass transit vehicle, or wants to sit down in a seat, or wants to exit from the vehicle, the connection between the portable stabilizer device and the mass transit vehicle should be easily broken.
The following U.S. patents may be of interest for their disclosure of telescopic extendable and retractable poles: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,619, 3,956,784, 4,928,916, 5,317,855, and 5,913,783. Each of the above-mentioned patents has a common characteristic. Each patented device is a telescopic pole support that extends between a fixed top horizontal surface (such as a ceiling) and a fixed bottom horizontal surface (such as a floor). None of the above-mentioned patents discloses a hand-held, portable device that is used by a person, such as a standing passenger in a mass transit vehicle, to stabilize the person from losing one's balance during abrupt stops and starts of the mass transit vehicle.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use telescopic pole support devices between fixed floors and ceilings, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a portable stabilizer apparatus for a standing passenger which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) permits a standing passenger to bring along one's own hold-on bar into a mass transit vehicle to avoid problems of sanitation of previous holders of existing hold-on bars in the vehicle; (2) permits a standing passenger in a mass transit vehicle to bring along one's own portable hold-on bar to provide oneself with stability when the existing hold-on bars in the vehicle are all being used by other passengers; (3) provides a device which precludes the need for a child to hold onto the clothing of an adult to maintain stability in a mass transit vehicle; (4) is retractable when not in use for storage and extendable when in use for stabilizing a standing passenger; and (5) provides that the connection between the portable stabilizer apparatus and the mass transit vehicle can be easily broken when the passenger wants to move from a particular standing location in the vehicle.
The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique portable stabilizer apparatus for a standing passenger of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.